Twitter 101 - day 1

Getting started & getting connected!

Twitter 101 - day 1

Getting started & getting connected!

Objectives

What is Twitter?

What can it offer an educator?

How do I get started?

Who should I follow?

What now?

What is Twitter?

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read "tweets", which are text messages limited to 140 characters. Registered users can read and post tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. (definition from Wikipedia)

What can Twitter offer an educator?

twitter in 60 seconds

How do I get started?

Setup your account

Profile - Good profiles tell about you & your interests

Picture - Yes, you need some kind of picture. NO EGGHEADS!

Anatomy of a Tweet

Basic Tweet--general outbound message to all of my followers. May include a picture or a link to click on for more information.

Reply or @mention tweet--starts with the other person's twitter handle. This tweet only appears in the other person's twitter feed and people who follow both of us.

RT = Retweet: rebroadcast of another person's tweet

MT = Modified Tweet: when you want to RT something but need to delete/modify a portion to add your thoughts

DM = Direct Messages: a 140-character email. Can be read only by that person. You can only DM someone who follows you. This avoids you getting spammed.

Hashtags = # (nope, it's not a pound sign!) Hashtags make twitter searchable. They're added to chats and topics so all the tweets can be filed together for later usage. (Sometimes they're added to be funny or sarcastic or as side note to the tweet. #Ididitallforthecookie)

"#Hashtag" with Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake

Who should I follow?

Begin by following Rossville accounts

@RossvilleSchool

@RvilleHornets

@RossvilleHive

@RossvilleChoirs

@RossvilleBands

@RMHSLibrary

@PrincipalChad

@RMHSPrincipal

Follow each other!

We'll talk more next week on how to increase your PLN and choose who else to follow.

What now?

Send a TWEET! It may be your very first one! Add the hashtag #RossvilleBuzz to make it searchable for us.

Designate 10 minutes each day to look at your timeline and post at least 1 more tweet (either personal or educational) before the next meeting.

A few topic ideas for Tweeting:

(Don't forget to add #RossvilleBuzz to your tweet!)

Tweet a link to your favorite website.

Tweet about your all-time favorite teacher.

Tweet one goal you have for yourself, students, classroom, or school this semester.

Tweet a shout-out to a deserving Rossville teacher for their hard work...even if they're not on Twitter!